1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to audio loudspeaker systems and more specifically to loudspeaker systems including loudspeakers and enclosures.
2. Description of Related Art
A continuing effort is being applied to the development of loudspeakers and their enclosures for producing audio loudspeaker systems that produce high-quality sound and that operate with maximum efficiency. This effort, in part, has been directed to developing different loudspeaker enclosures with sealed chambers, vented or ported chambers and acoustic waveguides, particularly for optimizing the performance of bass loudspeakers, woofers and sub-woofers.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,801 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/251,815 filed Feb. 17, 1999 disclose a dual cone loudspeaker with a primary annular speaker cone similar in function to a conventional dynamic loudspeaker mounted on a frame with a magnet structure adapted for operation as a bass loudspeaker or driver. A secondary speaker cone mounts to a sub-frame on the back of the magnet structure and connects to the primary speaker cone through a rigid coupling device so the primary and secondary speaker cones move in unison. Sound waves from the secondary speaker cone travel through an orifice extending through a center pole piece of the magnet structure and the primary speaker cone radiating in the same direction as sound waves from the primary speaker cone. Consequently for a given excursion of the primary speaker cone my dual cone structure generates a sound having a greater sound volume than the primary cone alone by virtue of the simultaneous excursions of both the primary and secondary speaker cones that move a greater air volume for a given speaker cone displacement.
This dual cone speaker can be mounted in a number of conventional enclosures with good results. However, it has been found that mounting the speaker in some enclosures can detract from the performance of the dual cone loudspeaker especially when the combination of the enclosure and the loudspeaker impedes the performance of the loudspeaker. What is needed is an audio loudspeaker system with an enclosure and a dual or single cone loudspeaker that will exhibit a reasonably flat response over a wide frequency range, particularly including bass frequencies.
As known, speakers come in different sizes and have different performance characteristics and require differently sized enclosures. Moreover, differently sized enclosures may also enhance the performance of a given speaker, as by altering a resonant frequency, for different applications. In the prior art, however, speaker enclosures are custom designed for each size. This means that anyone producing differently sized enclosures of the same basic design must obtain and inventory special components for each size. There is little, if any, parts commonality from one speaker enclosure to another.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a loudspeaker system with an enclosure that is adapted to the characteristics of loudspeakers including dual-cone loudspeakers.
Another object of this invention is to provide a loudspeaker system with an enclosure that enhance the performance of loudspeakers including dual cone loudspeakers.
It is another object of this invention to provide a loudspeaker system with a modularized enclosure adapted for providing differently sized speaker enclosures.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a standard set of components that can be assembled into a customized modular enclosure for a loudspeaker.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a modular enclosure for a loudspeaker includes an open-ended, closed sided, variable volume enclosure body, a loudspeaker support structure and an end structure. The enclosure body is readily modified to provide a desired enclosure volume.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, it is possible to build a modular loudspeaker enclosure from a component system that includes preformed corner structures, intermediate structures, a loudspeaker support structure and an end structure. Each intermediate wall structure has a length corresponding to the length of the corner structures and is taken from a set comprised of different widths. The preformed corner and intermediate structures thereby can be formed into an open-ended, enclosed structure lying along an axis and having a cross section determined by the selection of the intermediate structures. The end structure closes one open end. The loudspeaker support structure spans the other open end and is adapted for carrying at least one loudspeaker.